Implementation of a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) tool in a regional health organization in Sweden—a feasibility study

The concept of Health in All Policies aims to improve the health outcomes associated with policies in an attempt to mitigate health disparities and provide optimal environments for healthier living. This multidisciplinary framework seeks to improve health through effective assessment and reformation of policy for organizations of any level and stature. The importance of integrating health in policy assessment and decision making is a key concept in the growing field of Health Impact Assessment.The World Health Organization defines Health Impact Assessment (HIA) as “a combination of procedures, methods, and tools by which a policy, program, or project may be judged as to its potential effects on the health of a population, and the distribution of those effects within the population.” HIA provides a mechanism for collaboration between various sectors and disciplines bridging the gap between research, policymaking, and implementation of policies, programs, and projects affecting health outcomes. In the United States, while some HIA efforts have focused on proposed public policies, HIA has been used primarily to analyze the health effects of proposed development projects and plans related to community design and transportation.

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Review: The Effectiveness of Health Impact Assessment: Scope and Limitations of Supporting Decision-Making in Europe Matthias Wismar, Julia Blau, Kelly Ernst and Josep Figueras (eds) World Health Organization, Copenhagen, 2007, 291pp, ISBN 978—92—890—7295—3, £21.85 (pbk)

Critical Social Policy ◽

10.1177/02610183090290010806 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. 166-168 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Rachel Aldred

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Impact Assessment ◽

World Health Organization ◽

Health Impact Assessment ◽

Health Impact ◽

World Health ◽

Health Organization

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Short-Term Health Impact Assessment of Urban PM10in Bejaia City (Algeria)

Canadian Respiratory Journal ◽

10.1155/2016/8209485 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Fatima Benaissa ◽

Cara Nichole Maesano ◽

Rezak Alkama ◽

Isabella Annesi-Maesano

Keyword(s):

Impact Assessment ◽

Health Impact Assessment ◽

Health Impact ◽

World Health ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Short Term ◽

Short Term Exposure ◽

Quality Guideline ◽

Health Organization ◽

The Impact

We used Health Impact Assessment (HIA) to analyze the impact on a given population’s health outcomes in terms of all-causes mortality and respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations attributable to short-term exposure to particulate matter less than 10 μm diameter (PM10) in Bejaia city, for which health effects of air pollution have never been investigated. Two scenarios of PM10reduction were considered: first, a scenario where the PM10annual mean is decreased by 5 µg/m3, and then a scenario where this PM10mean is decreased to 20 µg/m3(World Health Organization annual air quality guideline (WHO-AQG)). Annual mean level of PM10(81.7 µg/m3) was calculated from objective measurements assessedin situ. Each year, about 4 and 55 deaths could be postponed with the first and the second scenarios successfully. Furthermore, decreasing PM10annual mean by 5 µg/m3would avoid 5 and 3 respiratory and cardiac hospitalizations, respectively, and not exceeding the PM10WHO-AQG (20 µg/m3) would result in a potential gain of 36 and 23 per 100000 respiratory and cardiac hospitalizations, respectively. Lowering in current levels of PM10has a nonnegligible impact in terms of public health that it is expected to be higher in the case of long-term effects.

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